Eileen Ivers captures the spirit and magic of the season in her heartwarming holiday show "An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas" on Saturday, December 20, at 8:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center.

This concert is part of the Performing Arts Center's 2008-2009 Great Performers Series, presented by M&T Bank.

Tickets for Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul are $32-$37 each, with a discount for seniors and rush tickets for students. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Rockwell Hall Box Office, 1300 Elmwood Ave., by calling (716) 878-3005 or online at www.buffalostate.edu/pac. Box Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Each year, there is a great swell of anticipation for the grand celebrations surrounding Christmas in Ireland. There is the clamor and delight of Christmas Eve, the peace and beauty of Christmas Day and the lively parties the day after (St. Stephen's Day or Boxing Day) when the "Wren Boys" don their straw hats, dance at the crossroads, play their pipes, drums and fiddles and collect gifts for the less fortunate.

Ivers shares these joyful Irish customs still enjoyed today. The program features traditional Irish songs, original tunes and holiday favorites specially arranged by Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul such as "The Holly Tree," "Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil" (One Night in Bethlehem), "Hark e Herald Angels" (in traditional jig time), "e Wexford Carol" (12th century Irish Christmas Carol) and more.

It is a rare and select grade of spectacular artists whose work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it alters the medium. It has been said that the task of respectfully exploring the traditions and progression of the Celtic fiddle is quite literally on Eileen Ivers' shoulder. The Washington Post states, "She suggests the future of the Celtic fiddle."

She's been called a "sensation" by Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by The New York Times. "She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing" says The Irish Times. Ivers' recording credits include over 100 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores. Her recordings continue to display why Ivers is hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres.
The daughter of Irish immigrants, Eileen Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Rooted in Irish traditional music since the age of eight, Eileen proceeded to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these prestigious competitions.

Being an Irish-American, the intrigue of learning more about the multicultural sounds of her childhood took hold. After graduating magna cum laude in Mathematics from Iona College and while continuing her postgraduate work in Mathematics, Eileen fully immersed herself in the different genres of music which she experienced growing up in New York. Perhaps it was the mathematical mind coupled with her passion for seeking parallels in certain traditional music styles which contributed to what has become the signature sound featured in much of Eileen's recordings since the late 1980's.

The Great Performers Series is sponsored by M&T Bank and WBFO.